Ex-Everton Player And Chinese Coach, Li Tie Sentenced To Life In Prison

Chinese professional footballer manager and former player for Everton, Li Tie, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Naija News understands that the 46-year-old was found guilty of corruption in his native China.

During his loan spell, Li initially joined the Premier League club and later spent a span of four years at Everton from 2002 to 2006.

Throughout this period, he participated in 40 matches for the team across various competitions.

Additionally, the 46-year-old individual, who previously held the position of manager for the China national side from 2019 to 2021, briefly played for Sheffield United. However, his time at the club was limited to a single appearance.

Reports emerging over the weekend revealed that Li is now facing the prospect of spending the remainder of his life in prison as a result of China’s intensified efforts to combat football corruption.

The Chinese authorities have accused him of being involved in the acceptance and offering of bribes, which comes just a year after his resignation as the manager of his country’s team.

Naija News understands that Li admitted during a recent live confession on CCTV, the official Chinese channel, that he had paid roughly £330,000 to oversee the national football team.

The former defensive midfield player also acknowledged that, in order to advance with the Chinese club teams he played for, he had participated in a match-fixing scandal.

‘I’m very sorry,’ Li apologized on a live television programme.

He added: “I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.

“By gaining ‘success’ through such improper means, it actually made me more and more impatient and eager for quick results.

‘In order to achieve good performance, I resorted to influencing referees, bribing opposing players and coaches, sometimes through clubs dealing with other clubs.”